Family Secrets
Catching Up
Stephanie walked with Rip to the security guard and smiled at him. She knew him from other shows and saw the smile on his face when she walked up and was relieved that he wouldn’t give her any problems about going to see her dad. She knew that Rip was uneasy and decided to quickly get them inside. “Hey. I’m here to see my dad and this is my dad too.” She laughed a little. “It’s a long story but anyway he left us two lanyards here.”
"Here you are." He smiled handing them to her.
Stephanie thanked him before leading Rip through the backstage area smiling at the people she knew before seeing her dad standing and talking to Jeff Dunham. She smiled and ran over jumping in his arms. “I miss you daddy.”
Papa smiled holding her close, "I missed you too." Papa held her tightly smiling.
“I’m glad you are here. Momma called and told me. I asked if we could come and of course Dad didn’t say no.” She laughed.
Papa smiled nodding his head to Rip, "Thank you." Papa told him.
Rip nodded his head, "Anything to make her happy." Rip told him.
“Is Momma here? Or the guys? I see Uncle Jeff is here so that means my favorite puppets are here too.” She smiled acting more like herself.
"Of course I am here." Jeff hugged her tight smiling. "Of course their here. Some new ones." He smiled.
"Your mom is in the bathroom, Brian and the guys are somewhere's. I am not too sure." Papa laughed a little kissing her head.
Stephanie smiled and then noticed the serious expression on Rip’s face and wondered if it had been a bad idea for him to bring her but that was quickly gone from her mind when she saw her mom and ran to her for a hug. “I missed you momma.” She whispered.
Suzy hugged her tightly smiling, "I missed you too honey." Suzy held onto her smiling.
She looked over at Rip and held her hand out to him. “Daddy, I want you to meet Jeff Dunham. He puts on the best show and dad is only known as Guitar Guy and he argues with a puppet.”
Rip took her hand walking over to her with a smile. "Sounds interesting." Rip told them.
“It is.” She laughed before seeing the guys walking towards them. “Looks like the guys are here too. I see Matt.” She smiled shyly.
"Oh, the one that you menitoned to your grandpa?" Rip questioned her.
“Yes. Please don’t say anything.” She begged him. “I really like him.”
"You know I have to give him the talk." Rip looked at her seriously.
“Daddy please.” She begged just as the guys reached her and took turns hugging her. She was surprised when Brian hugged her the longest. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
"I'm still sorry for being a dick head." Brian held to her a little longer before pulling back. "I've missed my tormenting little sister." Brian smiled.
Stephanie smiled and heard the other asking her questions about life on the ranch. “I really like it there. I have my own horse and everything. So far no chores but I do help with my horse. I’m sure the chores will come with time. When are you guys going to the ranch to visit?” She asked feeling Matt slip his arm around her waist.
"We should be coming up that way next week." Brian smiled.
Rip looked at Matt and cleared his throat seeing him remove his arm quickly and seeing Papa smirking. "Mr. Dutton has rooms for each of you at the main house." Rip told them.
Papa snickered a little underneath his breath. "I wish I could do that." He mumbled to Rip.
“You two be nice.” Stephanie pouted crossing her arms. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong. I’m not speaking to either of you. Momma tell them to stop.”
"Leave her alone." She swatted at the two men hearing them chuckle, glad they were getting along.
"He had his arm around you. That's something." They both said pointing out.
"But you still love us." Papa smirked.
“Nope not anymore.” She told them shaking her head. “I’m going to go talk to Matt away from you all. You can just keep each other company. You two are bullies and mean.” She told them sounding like Beth just before she would storm out of the dining room.
Rip watched her and looked at Papa, "She just sounded like Beth, when she is pissed." Rip told him.
"Well. Then we need to make her happy again." Papa smiled.
Stephanie ignored them and started off with Matt when Jeff Dunham told her she could help him get Peanut ready or the show if she stopped being mad at Rip and Papa. Squealing she ran over and started opening the case that held her favorite puppet. “Make him do something so that dad can’t stop from laughing. I mean I want him to break character big time.”
Jeff chuckled, "Fine, I will do something. Just because you're my princess." Jeff smiled at his niece.
Stephanie smiled and noticed that both her dad’s were smiling at her laughing and having fun. Before she knew it she was walking off with the guys while the adults talked. She was enjoying catching up with everyone and wasn’t ready for that night to end.
"Here you are." He smiled handing them to her.
Stephanie thanked him before leading Rip through the backstage area smiling at the people she knew before seeing her dad standing and talking to Jeff Dunham. She smiled and ran over jumping in his arms. “I miss you daddy.”
Papa smiled holding her close, "I missed you too." Papa held her tightly smiling.
“I’m glad you are here. Momma called and told me. I asked if we could come and of course Dad didn’t say no.” She laughed.
Papa smiled nodding his head to Rip, "Thank you." Papa told him.
Rip nodded his head, "Anything to make her happy." Rip told him.
“Is Momma here? Or the guys? I see Uncle Jeff is here so that means my favorite puppets are here too.” She smiled acting more like herself.
"Of course I am here." Jeff hugged her tight smiling. "Of course their here. Some new ones." He smiled.
"Your mom is in the bathroom, Brian and the guys are somewhere's. I am not too sure." Papa laughed a little kissing her head.
Stephanie smiled and then noticed the serious expression on Rip’s face and wondered if it had been a bad idea for him to bring her but that was quickly gone from her mind when she saw her mom and ran to her for a hug. “I missed you momma.” She whispered.
Suzy hugged her tightly smiling, "I missed you too honey." Suzy held onto her smiling.
She looked over at Rip and held her hand out to him. “Daddy, I want you to meet Jeff Dunham. He puts on the best show and dad is only known as Guitar Guy and he argues with a puppet.”
Rip took her hand walking over to her with a smile. "Sounds interesting." Rip told them.
“It is.” She laughed before seeing the guys walking towards them. “Looks like the guys are here too. I see Matt.” She smiled shyly.
"Oh, the one that you menitoned to your grandpa?" Rip questioned her.
“Yes. Please don’t say anything.” She begged him. “I really like him.”
"You know I have to give him the talk." Rip looked at her seriously.
“Daddy please.” She begged just as the guys reached her and took turns hugging her. She was surprised when Brian hugged her the longest. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
"I'm still sorry for being a dick head." Brian held to her a little longer before pulling back. "I've missed my tormenting little sister." Brian smiled.
Stephanie smiled and heard the other asking her questions about life on the ranch. “I really like it there. I have my own horse and everything. So far no chores but I do help with my horse. I’m sure the chores will come with time. When are you guys going to the ranch to visit?” She asked feeling Matt slip his arm around her waist.
"We should be coming up that way next week." Brian smiled.
Rip looked at Matt and cleared his throat seeing him remove his arm quickly and seeing Papa smirking. "Mr. Dutton has rooms for each of you at the main house." Rip told them.
Papa snickered a little underneath his breath. "I wish I could do that." He mumbled to Rip.
“You two be nice.” Stephanie pouted crossing her arms. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong. I’m not speaking to either of you. Momma tell them to stop.”
"Leave her alone." She swatted at the two men hearing them chuckle, glad they were getting along.
"He had his arm around you. That's something." They both said pointing out.
"But you still love us." Papa smirked.
“Nope not anymore.” She told them shaking her head. “I’m going to go talk to Matt away from you all. You can just keep each other company. You two are bullies and mean.” She told them sounding like Beth just before she would storm out of the dining room.
Rip watched her and looked at Papa, "She just sounded like Beth, when she is pissed." Rip told him.
"Well. Then we need to make her happy again." Papa smiled.
Stephanie ignored them and started off with Matt when Jeff Dunham told her she could help him get Peanut ready or the show if she stopped being mad at Rip and Papa. Squealing she ran over and started opening the case that held her favorite puppet. “Make him do something so that dad can’t stop from laughing. I mean I want him to break character big time.”
Jeff chuckled, "Fine, I will do something. Just because you're my princess." Jeff smiled at his niece.
Stephanie smiled and noticed that both her dad’s were smiling at her laughing and having fun. Before she knew it she was walking off with the guys while the adults talked. She was enjoying catching up with everyone and wasn’t ready for that night to end.